Plectranthus rotundifolius

(Poir.) Spreng

Lamiaceae

Some species of Plectranthus are difficult to identify because of a lack of clear-cut morphological criteria to discriminate not only among species within the genus but also among the closely related genera. This has resulted in numerous taxonomic problems in the naming of species with the result that species have often been placed in several closely related genera like Coleus, Solenostemon and Englerastrum. In addition, some species formally placed in Plectranthus, are now recognized as the more distantly related genus Isodon.
Because of these taxonomic issues, different names have often been used for the same species of Plectranthus and thus it has been difficult to collate information about the ethnobotanical uses of this genus. Furthermore, the most commonly used medicinal species of Plectranthus have a high degree of synonymy[

An excellent guide to the uses of Plectranthus species, giving the basic uses and the literature supporting this.

] in untangling much of this mess of names, and utilizes the on-line Kew database ‘World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (http://wcsp.science.kew.org/home.do) for determining currently accepted names and synonyms (as of 2018).

General Information

Plectranthus rotundifolius is an aromatic, perennial, semi-succulent plant producing erect or decumbent stems that can be 30 - 100cm long from a tuberous rootstock. The plant forms new tubers in clusters around the bases of the stems[

Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.

].
The plant used to be widely cultivated as a root crop in the savanah belt of Africa, though it has largely fallen out of favour there. It is still sometimes cultivated in Africa, but is much more commonly grown in southeast Asia[

An on-line database giving detailed descriptions of almost 40,000 species of plants (as of 2018), almost 25,000 images and a list of almost 850,000 plant names. A truly excellent resource and still growing.

An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.

].
Hausa potato is difficult to store. Traditionally the tubers are stored in the ground under a tree where it is cooler than in the open. When stored in this way under hot conditions the special taste of Hausa potato usually lasts for two months only, after which the tubers become bland and are no longer considered a delicacy[

An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.

]. Hausa potato is also packed in bags or baskets stuffed with straw, but if these are kept under warm conditions the tubers will soon shrivel and are no longer edible. To keep the tubers longer, people put them in pots sealed with cow dung. The small tubers needed for the next planting season are stored in this way. In cooler conditions, such as in highland regions or in South Africa, storage is easier[